Smile, You're on SNL!

Fans of the late-night comedy show, which is celebrating its 35th season this year, have had a lot to enjoy of late. This past weekend was Betty White's universally applauded guest host appearance (prompted by a grassroots Facebook campaign, which succeeded in making her the show's oldest host ever). Then last night, an exhibit of the star portraits used during commercial cut-aways was unveiled at the John Varvatos store on the Bowery.

Taken by photographer Mary Ellen Matthews, who has been with the show for a decade, the images capture more than just likenesses....they ooze whimsy, almost always in hyper-saturated colors. Tina Fey as a Robert Palmer back-up girl. Will Ferrell peeking through a thicket of daisies. Alec Baldwin channeling Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca. These photos are no mere snapshots. They are gorgeous pop art, a fact made clear when viewed close-up and in a frame rather than as pixels on a TV set.

And thus, a delightful selection of these images is now on view at John Varvatos, the former home of CBGB. Among the SNL SNL stars who turned up to salute Matthews at last night's opening included Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis and Fred Armisen.

The exhibit runs through August 3, so you'll have plenty of time to catch it before the next season of SNL starts. In the meantime, don't forget to check out the season finale this Saturday, which will star guest host Alec Baldwin. For more pix from the party, click here.

Kicking Off the Awards Season

At Cipriani Wall Street tonight, the Gotham Independent Film Awards began the 2009-2010 award season that will stretch straight through the New York Film Critics Circle awards, the Golden Globes and ultimately, the Oscars. It was a star-studded evening, with special career tributes being accepted by Stanley Tucci, (left), Natalie Portman, Kathryn Bigelow and producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. As busy and talented an actress as she is, how Portman, at age 28 and whose breakout role was in The Phantom Menace a mere ten years ago has earned a "career tribute" was not entirely clear.

Among the other celebs who took their turns on the red carpet this evening included Brooke Shields, Alec Baldwin, Ellen Burstyn, Chris Rock, Oliver Platt, Willem Dafoe, Ryan Reynolds and a sidesplittingly funny (and super-generous with his time) Patton Oswalt, wearing a suit by L.A.-area clothier Savvy Row. Sadly, Meryl Streep, one of the night's presenters, was a red-carpet no-show.

NBC President Jeff Zucker, another expected guest, did not appear on the red carpet, but forgiveably so, given the ongoing negotiations between General Electric and Vivendi Universal, which the Times reports have made a breakthrough today, helping to clear the path for a deal with Comcast.